My freedom topic didn't make the list this week for the salon (sigh). I'll have to wait until next month. In the meantime, here are the topics for this week. Enjoy:
Discussion topics for November 10, 2006:
1. Is the West's privileging of reason over emotion a prejudice?
2. "In the long term secularization holds more dangers for the human race than religious fanaticism."--Historian Paul Johnson. What are the dangers of secularization?
3. Is memory moral? Do we have an obligation to remember some things--and to forget others?
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Books or Bread
Reading is second only to oxygen to me. Seriously. If I am really absorbed by what I'm reading, I'll forget my basic needs: Am I thirsty? Hungry? Hot? Cold? Do I need to duck and cover due to weather? Etc. Unfortunately, because of my insane schedule at school (3 very involved preps), I am usually reading for class or looking to enhance my lesson with another piece of literature. As a result, I rarely get to read for pure pleasure, though when I do I'm lovin' life! The confusing part is I am usually reading 4-10 books at a time... on purpose.
I tend to round robin the "for fun," "just because," and "my soul could really use this" books which means it takes me sometimes months to finish one (especially since when I'm tired I have the attention span of a gnat). Here's how the system works: I am given/find/purchase/borrow a book that really interests me. I start reading it. If it is exceptionally interesting, I continue reading until the end. Very few authors merit this kind of attention from me (Jeffrey Eugenides is one who is worthy). If I get bored/ scared/bogged down in rhetoric the book is placed under the bed (face down if the book is scary... I have a friend who puts scary books in the freezer, so I'm not THAT weird). The same procedure happens for the next book. Again, if uninteresting or if my imagination overtakes me, the book is placed under the bed. This means that the initial book is scooted further under the bed. The process continues until the first book pops out on the other side of the bed. At that point, the rotation officially begins. Rich generally hands me the book that has "mysteriously ended up on his side" (we're very territorial) and I say to myself something like, "Oh yeah! I remember what was happening in this book. That was interesting," and I read; or I might say, "Oh yeah. THAT book. Maybe I should give it another go." That book usually gets put under the bed again after 2 seconds of consideration and is rotated back into the system. (There may be close to 20 books under my bed right now...)
I am not a book snob. I think books are meant to be loved on. I think they should be written in, chewed on, personalized, beat-up, and hugged. I think people should write in books; they should share their wisdom, underline important passages, and write personal, secret (sometimes) comments. Books should definitely be dog-eared and like dogs, they should be taken wherever their masters go. I've even taken particular books to places where I knew I would need encouragement just so the words would be there for me if I needed them. I'm sounding ultra nerdy and a bit pathetic, but books are that vital to me.
I think one of the most personal things someone can do for another is share a book. Sharing a book is like sharing your soul. It's saying, "This is important to me and I hope it's important to you, too." No one should own books. They should only be shared, in my opinion. That being said, one of my students, Brittany, gave me a book to read last week (she has been forewarned about the rotating system). I've only opened the cover, but already I've found significance. I'll leave you with one of the opening poems in the Time Traveler's Wife:
Love After Love
by Derek Walcott
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome.
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
I tend to round robin the "for fun," "just because," and "my soul could really use this" books which means it takes me sometimes months to finish one (especially since when I'm tired I have the attention span of a gnat). Here's how the system works: I am given/find/purchase/borrow a book that really interests me. I start reading it. If it is exceptionally interesting, I continue reading until the end. Very few authors merit this kind of attention from me (Jeffrey Eugenides is one who is worthy). If I get bored/ scared/bogged down in rhetoric the book is placed under the bed (face down if the book is scary... I have a friend who puts scary books in the freezer, so I'm not THAT weird). The same procedure happens for the next book. Again, if uninteresting or if my imagination overtakes me, the book is placed under the bed. This means that the initial book is scooted further under the bed. The process continues until the first book pops out on the other side of the bed. At that point, the rotation officially begins. Rich generally hands me the book that has "mysteriously ended up on his side" (we're very territorial) and I say to myself something like, "Oh yeah! I remember what was happening in this book. That was interesting," and I read; or I might say, "Oh yeah. THAT book. Maybe I should give it another go." That book usually gets put under the bed again after 2 seconds of consideration and is rotated back into the system. (There may be close to 20 books under my bed right now...)
I am not a book snob. I think books are meant to be loved on. I think they should be written in, chewed on, personalized, beat-up, and hugged. I think people should write in books; they should share their wisdom, underline important passages, and write personal, secret (sometimes) comments. Books should definitely be dog-eared and like dogs, they should be taken wherever their masters go. I've even taken particular books to places where I knew I would need encouragement just so the words would be there for me if I needed them. I'm sounding ultra nerdy and a bit pathetic, but books are that vital to me.
I think one of the most personal things someone can do for another is share a book. Sharing a book is like sharing your soul. It's saying, "This is important to me and I hope it's important to you, too." No one should own books. They should only be shared, in my opinion. That being said, one of my students, Brittany, gave me a book to read last week (she has been forewarned about the rotating system). I've only opened the cover, but already I've found significance. I'll leave you with one of the opening poems in the Time Traveler's Wife:
Love After Love
by Derek Walcott
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome.
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Freedom, meet Fear; Fear, this is Freedom (handshake)
Fear in relation to freedom has been a burdensome topic on my mind lately. For several weeks, I've mentally wrestled with the idea of what makes a person free. Some would say that living in a "free" country in which one can make their own decisions (for the most part) makes one free. Some would say that freedom is a state of mind, that even those who are in prison can be free, if only their minds can conceive it. Some would say that being cleansed of sin means freedom (Psalm 51). "The truth will set you free!", whatever the definition of truth is. According to some, freedom "presupposes the absence of any obligations or constraints" (Hobbs). V for Vendetta asserts that the absence of fear is freedom.
The absence and/or presence of fear is something I would like to specifically address in an effort to come to some sort of conclusion about freedom, especially in this day and age and in this country:
Yesterday I watched V for Vendetta for the first time, ironically and unintentionally on the eve of Guy Fawkes Night. According to the movie, the West has become so immersed in fear (of terrorists, epidemics, war, etc.) that the people are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in exchange for the illusion of governmental protection. Sound familiar? Here's the thing: The main character, Evey (played by Natalie Portman who is beyond brilliant, but who doesn't sell me on the forced British accent), becomes fearless (through torture (!)) and is, according to the film, now absolutely free. I think I disagree with this idea, though I am happy to equivocate.
Honestly, I think that a lot of times people embrace their fear. We like fear. It puts us on a side (us v. them: the people v. the monsters; the individual v. the challenge; the proletariat v. big brother; the free nation v. "the evil doers"; etc.) and we like being part of a team. Also, fear requires that we be saved from something/someone, a ridiculously romantic idea. Fear promotes the all too familiar dysfunctional love/hate relationship. Embracing fear means, in this instance, that we value personal safety over freedom(?), an idea that many think plays into the hands of big government. This symbiotic relationship between fear and freedom is what keeps us from breaking the law, keeps us away from the "shady" characters, and is even what makes us patriotic.
BUT perhaps being fearful or not being fearful doesn't matter in the freedom arena (she said as she dodged the storm of pumping fists and freedom placards).
It is difficult for me to qualify this reasoning, seeing as my whole life I have been afraid of something. To me, those fears were/are real and I mostly lose to them or am held back by them, though I am getting better at resisting. For example (and a bit off topic, but wait for the point), I am terrified of flying (yes, we all know it is probably a control issue, yadda, yadda, psychosis summary, yadda...). Two glasses of merlot and a zanex later not only am I not afraid of the big bad plane, but I am totally stoked that I get to fly. In fact, maybe turbulence would be fun, especially since rationally I know that statistically flying is the safest mode of transportation, terrorists or no terrorists! Does this count as freedom from fear? In this case, my fear is numbed, but if the plane crashes, it didn't matter whether or not I was afraid. The fear, whether actually there or not, had little to do with the outcome. So, what does this mean in relation to freedom? Will the outcome be the same regardless of whether or not we fear "the enemy"?
The fact is I don't know. (stupid abstract nouns!) There is still no conclusion. I have no concrete definition of freedom. There are only ideas of freedom. Maybe I am extremely disillusioned seeing as I have only ever lived in a "free" state. Rousseau asserts that people can be forced into freedom (which is deliciously ironic and fodder for a different entry... Thanks for the bedtime reading, Spark). I know that whatever freedom is, we're going to fight for it, by God! After all, and back to V, "one man's terrorism is another man's freedom fight". Maybe that's something to be feared, too.
This topic will hopefully be addressed at next week's salon at the Dallas Institute. I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, what is your opinion (and please be nice).
The absence and/or presence of fear is something I would like to specifically address in an effort to come to some sort of conclusion about freedom, especially in this day and age and in this country:
Yesterday I watched V for Vendetta for the first time, ironically and unintentionally on the eve of Guy Fawkes Night. According to the movie, the West has become so immersed in fear (of terrorists, epidemics, war, etc.) that the people are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in exchange for the illusion of governmental protection. Sound familiar? Here's the thing: The main character, Evey (played by Natalie Portman who is beyond brilliant, but who doesn't sell me on the forced British accent), becomes fearless (through torture (!)) and is, according to the film, now absolutely free. I think I disagree with this idea, though I am happy to equivocate.
Honestly, I think that a lot of times people embrace their fear. We like fear. It puts us on a side (us v. them: the people v. the monsters; the individual v. the challenge; the proletariat v. big brother; the free nation v. "the evil doers"; etc.) and we like being part of a team. Also, fear requires that we be saved from something/someone, a ridiculously romantic idea. Fear promotes the all too familiar dysfunctional love/hate relationship. Embracing fear means, in this instance, that we value personal safety over freedom(?), an idea that many think plays into the hands of big government. This symbiotic relationship between fear and freedom is what keeps us from breaking the law, keeps us away from the "shady" characters, and is even what makes us patriotic.
BUT perhaps being fearful or not being fearful doesn't matter in the freedom arena (she said as she dodged the storm of pumping fists and freedom placards).
It is difficult for me to qualify this reasoning, seeing as my whole life I have been afraid of something. To me, those fears were/are real and I mostly lose to them or am held back by them, though I am getting better at resisting. For example (and a bit off topic, but wait for the point), I am terrified of flying (yes, we all know it is probably a control issue, yadda, yadda, psychosis summary, yadda...). Two glasses of merlot and a zanex later not only am I not afraid of the big bad plane, but I am totally stoked that I get to fly. In fact, maybe turbulence would be fun, especially since rationally I know that statistically flying is the safest mode of transportation, terrorists or no terrorists! Does this count as freedom from fear? In this case, my fear is numbed, but if the plane crashes, it didn't matter whether or not I was afraid. The fear, whether actually there or not, had little to do with the outcome. So, what does this mean in relation to freedom? Will the outcome be the same regardless of whether or not we fear "the enemy"?
The fact is I don't know. (stupid abstract nouns!) There is still no conclusion. I have no concrete definition of freedom. There are only ideas of freedom. Maybe I am extremely disillusioned seeing as I have only ever lived in a "free" state. Rousseau asserts that people can be forced into freedom (which is deliciously ironic and fodder for a different entry... Thanks for the bedtime reading, Spark). I know that whatever freedom is, we're going to fight for it, by God! After all, and back to V, "one man's terrorism is another man's freedom fight". Maybe that's something to be feared, too.
This topic will hopefully be addressed at next week's salon at the Dallas Institute. I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, what is your opinion (and please be nice).
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Have You Ever...
Thanks for this, Lisa! It saves everyone from having to read about the miracle of spam (the other pink "meat"). The same rules apply for my listing:
Here's a list of some things one might have done in his or her lifetime: the ones I've done are highlighted and I put little parenthetical notes beside some of them. It's kind of long but it's interesting--and we all know it's fun to learn new things about each other! If you decide to post this on your blog, leave a comment with a link to it!
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (Help me with this, Fougs!)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Talked your way out of a ticket
08. Said “I love you” and meant it (say it often and to many, and I mean it)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise.
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a major sports game (Stars (!), Cowboys, FC Dallas, Rangers, etc.)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (no, but chose not to on purpose)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (I should do this more)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (at a baptism, even!!! I suck!)
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight(usually a frozen mud with a tiny bit of snow/ice mixed in fight)
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (not directly, obviously)
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (all the time)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends (I'm lucky to have many)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (Florence, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam(that was an eventful girls trip...))
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip(I'm ready for another. Who wants to go?)
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach (romantic until the unfortunate hammock incident of 2004)
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (Lisa said,"Wonder Woman underoos ROCK!" I had a pair too!!!)
58. Sung karaoke (Rich has..Johnny Cash and Bob Dillan (God help me!))
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving (Mark, help me with this!)
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sights (Mayan pyramids...and I relieved myself on/near Hadrian's Wall. Does that count as touring?)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party (the best was with a tourist, a witch, Clint Eastwood, and a male ballerina in a tutu)
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas (Jen, help me with this!)
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand (would love to go!)
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently well enough to have a decent conversation (Americans suck...)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror(How am I still a RH virgin, I ask you? Pathetic!)
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Been arrested (Hey Zapatista, can you help with this? (sorry, couldn't resist))
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (Fun college trip, P-ta!)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (daily)
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Written articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Texan)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse (again, Texan)
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states (I'll save the states for later)
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach(unfortunately)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (why does this have to go next to the cockroach question?)
134. Read The Iliad (only parts)
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (so far)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care (I haven't done this one by myself.)
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair (If I can get my stuff together, a stained glass booth would be wicked awesome!)
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life (possibly, but not in the way this question means)
Wow! I've lived a fairly full life so far. I still have so much more to do!
Here's a list of some things one might have done in his or her lifetime: the ones I've done are highlighted and I put little parenthetical notes beside some of them. It's kind of long but it's interesting--and we all know it's fun to learn new things about each other! If you decide to post this on your blog, leave a comment with a link to it!
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (Help me with this, Fougs!)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Talked your way out of a ticket
08. Said “I love you” and meant it (say it often and to many, and I mean it)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise.
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a major sports game (Stars (!), Cowboys, FC Dallas, Rangers, etc.)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (no, but chose not to on purpose)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (I should do this more)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (at a baptism, even!!! I suck!)
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight(usually a frozen mud with a tiny bit of snow/ice mixed in fight)
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (not directly, obviously)
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (all the time)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends (I'm lucky to have many)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (Florence, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam(that was an eventful girls trip...))
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip(I'm ready for another. Who wants to go?)
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach (romantic until the unfortunate hammock incident of 2004)
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (Lisa said,"Wonder Woman underoos ROCK!" I had a pair too!!!)
58. Sung karaoke (Rich has..Johnny Cash and Bob Dillan (God help me!))
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving (Mark, help me with this!)
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sights (Mayan pyramids...and I relieved myself on/near Hadrian's Wall. Does that count as touring?)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party (the best was with a tourist, a witch, Clint Eastwood, and a male ballerina in a tutu)
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas (Jen, help me with this!)
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand (would love to go!)
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently well enough to have a decent conversation (Americans suck...)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror(How am I still a RH virgin, I ask you? Pathetic!)
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Been arrested (Hey Zapatista, can you help with this? (sorry, couldn't resist))
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (Fun college trip, P-ta!)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (daily)
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Written articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Texan)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse (again, Texan)
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states (I'll save the states for later)
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach(unfortunately)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes (why does this have to go next to the cockroach question?)
134. Read The Iliad (only parts)
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (so far)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care (I haven't done this one by myself.)
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair (If I can get my stuff together, a stained glass booth would be wicked awesome!)
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life (possibly, but not in the way this question means)
Wow! I've lived a fairly full life so far. I still have so much more to do!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Six Week Sorrow
I had a crazy end of the six weeks Friday. I am still buried in grading and am exhausted from a week of:
"Ms. Haag, Mrs. Haag, Mrs. Haag... What can I do to bring up my grade (today, the last day of the six weeks) ?"
"But I have to pass... I play football...But you don't understand...I play football!"
"Have you seen the graphics on Final Fantasy 15 billion? They look real, except they're not."
"I hate you Mrs. Haag; eat a bag of shit (said in a whisper loud enough for only everyone in the room to hear). You're the worst teacher ever."
"I love you Mrs. Haag, you're the best teacher ever!"
"I wanted to come back and visit so that I could show you my new baby... the father? Yeah, he moved to Australia."
"Today is the last day to make up work? Can I come in on Monday?"
"Why is my grade so low? I know I didn't do any work or read the assignment. But, why is it THAT low?"
"I got busted last week for an MIP."
"Are you going to come to my ________ (game, play, concert, parole hearing, etc.)? Please! You HAVE to come."
"I really like your class, but don't ever wear that outfit again. It clashes with your hair."
"Mrs. Haag. I need someone to talk to. I had sex for the first time last night and I was supposed to wait."
"I didn't plagiarize! I only copied the information from Wikipedia. You didn't say not to!"
"Mrs. Haag, I just found out that my mom has ______ cancer."
"I really enjoyed that assignment. I want to send you an email this week-end so we can talk more about it. I really do feel like Mersault sometimes. Is there meaning to life?"
"Mrs. Haag, are you OK?"
These are actual statements/versions of statements that I hear almost every day, but especially today. I sincerely and absolutely LOVE my students. That's what makes what I do the best AND the worst job of all time. Sometimes I'm just drained. You know?
"Ms. Haag, Mrs. Haag, Mrs. Haag... What can I do to bring up my grade (today, the last day of the six weeks) ?"
"But I have to pass... I play football...But you don't understand...I play football!"
"Have you seen the graphics on Final Fantasy 15 billion? They look real, except they're not."
"I hate you Mrs. Haag; eat a bag of shit (said in a whisper loud enough for only everyone in the room to hear). You're the worst teacher ever."
"I love you Mrs. Haag, you're the best teacher ever!"
"I wanted to come back and visit so that I could show you my new baby... the father? Yeah, he moved to Australia."
"Today is the last day to make up work? Can I come in on Monday?"
"Why is my grade so low? I know I didn't do any work or read the assignment. But, why is it THAT low?"
"I got busted last week for an MIP."
"Are you going to come to my ________ (game, play, concert, parole hearing, etc.)? Please! You HAVE to come."
"I really like your class, but don't ever wear that outfit again. It clashes with your hair."
"Mrs. Haag. I need someone to talk to. I had sex for the first time last night and I was supposed to wait."
"I didn't plagiarize! I only copied the information from Wikipedia. You didn't say not to!"
"Mrs. Haag, I just found out that my mom has ______ cancer."
"I really enjoyed that assignment. I want to send you an email this week-end so we can talk more about it. I really do feel like Mersault sometimes. Is there meaning to life?"
"Mrs. Haag, are you OK?"
These are actual statements/versions of statements that I hear almost every day, but especially today. I sincerely and absolutely LOVE my students. That's what makes what I do the best AND the worst job of all time. Sometimes I'm just drained. You know?
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Geocaching Geofun!
Until last week, I had never heard of the extraordinary phenomenon called Geocaching. Fortunately for me, Rich and our good friend Pat went to a training on it and immediately introduced me (and Amanda and Ella) to it. The salutation went something like this, "Ginger, this is Geocaching. Geocaching, Ginger." (Wow, the Safety Dance murders brain cells... someone should tell the government...Oh wait. They created the Safety Dance! Soilent Green is people!!!)
For those who are unaware, geocaching (pronounced "geo-cashing"), is like a massive global scavenger hunt. The participant uses civilian GPS units to find all sorts of pre-placed, hidden treasures in all sorts of places (parks, buildings, on the sides of cliffs (for those who like to repel), and even underwater (for the scuba-ing types). When one finds a cache, he might get to take a treasure (if one is available), leave one from his treasure trove, and then sign the log book, indicating that "______ was here." After a silent (so as not to alert any other cachers to the placement of the cache), "I found it!" celebration dance (or in our case the gentle signal whistle and tap of the rhythmic woodpecker), it is mandatory to return the cache container, be it a film canister or a Star Wars lunchbox, to its original hiding place, so as to prevent the next cacher from leaving the search distraught over not having found that cache. Sometimes there are clues as to the size of the cache (the tiny ones are the hardest to find). Sometimes there are hints as to where the cache might be hidden. Sometimes one is left to find the cache without any guidance at all.
There is a secret lingo involved with geocaching. Those who steal caches or who give away any information about a cache are called spoilers. Occasionally, the spoilers are Muggles (sadly, stolen from Harry Potter) who don't realize that they've spoiled something. Mostly, Muggles are confused as to why the cachers (mere people in their eyes) are walking in the same circles over and over again, searching as if they've lost something irreplaceable. Also, there is a strict code. One must respect the environment, one may not trade items that are harmful, one must not endanger themselves or others, one must observe all the laws and rules of the area, etc.
All you have to do to participate (assuming you have access to a GPS unit) is go to geocaching.com and enter your zip code. You'll find a geocache sheet that tells you latitudes and longitudes, and you're off! There are caches all over the planet, even in the most remote places, so no need to worry about geowithdrawal, especially when visiting in-laws in places like Amarillo, Floydada, or (god forbid) Hobbs! So, go! Enjoy! My only caution to you is beware of the frisbee golfers (who yell "head's up" and then nail you in the face with a pig), the poison ivy lurking in the undergrowth (poor Rich!) and the nickel sized mosquitoes (west nile!)!
For those who are unaware, geocaching (pronounced "geo-cashing"), is like a massive global scavenger hunt. The participant uses civilian GPS units to find all sorts of pre-placed, hidden treasures in all sorts of places (parks, buildings, on the sides of cliffs (for those who like to repel), and even underwater (for the scuba-ing types). When one finds a cache, he might get to take a treasure (if one is available), leave one from his treasure trove, and then sign the log book, indicating that "______ was here." After a silent (so as not to alert any other cachers to the placement of the cache), "I found it!" celebration dance (or in our case the gentle signal whistle and tap of the rhythmic woodpecker), it is mandatory to return the cache container, be it a film canister or a Star Wars lunchbox, to its original hiding place, so as to prevent the next cacher from leaving the search distraught over not having found that cache. Sometimes there are clues as to the size of the cache (the tiny ones are the hardest to find). Sometimes there are hints as to where the cache might be hidden. Sometimes one is left to find the cache without any guidance at all.
There is a secret lingo involved with geocaching. Those who steal caches or who give away any information about a cache are called spoilers. Occasionally, the spoilers are Muggles (sadly, stolen from Harry Potter) who don't realize that they've spoiled something. Mostly, Muggles are confused as to why the cachers (mere people in their eyes) are walking in the same circles over and over again, searching as if they've lost something irreplaceable. Also, there is a strict code. One must respect the environment, one may not trade items that are harmful, one must not endanger themselves or others, one must observe all the laws and rules of the area, etc.
All you have to do to participate (assuming you have access to a GPS unit) is go to geocaching.com and enter your zip code. You'll find a geocache sheet that tells you latitudes and longitudes, and you're off! There are caches all over the planet, even in the most remote places, so no need to worry about geowithdrawal, especially when visiting in-laws in places like Amarillo, Floydada, or (god forbid) Hobbs! So, go! Enjoy! My only caution to you is beware of the frisbee golfers (who yell "head's up" and then nail you in the face with a pig), the poison ivy lurking in the undergrowth (poor Rich!) and the nickel sized mosquitoes (west nile!)!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Gaucho Muse
I would say that my Creative Muse has recently had his hand severely crushed in a slammed car door, that he believes my intentions to be like oh my god, shallow, or that he took a flying leap out of my nearest cerebral window (because he had a super hero complex?). Whatever it is that has happened, my CM is severely impotent at the moment, no matter how many glasses of merlot I swallow in an effort to seduce him. All week I've been anticipating this blog, for it is the first of the 30 day challenge! All I came up with was Summertime by the Sundays and also the dysfunctional comfort of gaucho pants... So, I'll leave you with the music in the above blog and with this exceptional poem that Kristen D. from the litmaggers introduced me to, possibly in an effort to define themselves and me, but probably not.
Lineage
by Jeffrey McDaniel
When I was little, I thought the word loin and the word lion were the same thing.
I thought celibate was a kind of fish.
My parents wanted me to be well-rounded so they threw dinner plates at each other until I curled up into a little ball.
I've had the wind knocked out of me but never the hurricane.
I've seen two hundred and sixty-three rats in the past year, but never more than one at a time. It could be the same rat, with a very high profile.
I know what it's like to wear my liver on my sleeve.
I go into department stores, looking suspicious, approach the security guard and say what, what, I didn't take anything. Go ahead. Frisk me, big boy!
I go to the funerals of absolute strangers and tell the grieving family: the soul of the deceased is trapped inside my rib cage and trying to reach you.
Once I thought I found love, but then I realized I was just out of cigarettes.
Some people are boring because their parents had boring sex the night they were conceived.
In the year thirteen hundred and thirteen, a little boy died, who had the exact same scars as me.
Lineage
by Jeffrey McDaniel
When I was little, I thought the word loin and the word lion were the same thing.
I thought celibate was a kind of fish.
My parents wanted me to be well-rounded so they threw dinner plates at each other until I curled up into a little ball.
I've had the wind knocked out of me but never the hurricane.
I've seen two hundred and sixty-three rats in the past year, but never more than one at a time. It could be the same rat, with a very high profile.
I know what it's like to wear my liver on my sleeve.
I go into department stores, looking suspicious, approach the security guard and say what, what, I didn't take anything. Go ahead. Frisk me, big boy!
I go to the funerals of absolute strangers and tell the grieving family: the soul of the deceased is trapped inside my rib cage and trying to reach you.
Once I thought I found love, but then I realized I was just out of cigarettes.
Some people are boring because their parents had boring sex the night they were conceived.
In the year thirteen hundred and thirteen, a little boy died, who had the exact same scars as me.
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